6 Steps to a Successful Review Paper
Hey Mars!
We are back with another step-by-step guide on how to conduct literature reviews! Literature reviews are the perfect way to dip your toes into the world of scientific research, learn a multitude of beneficial skills that can help you with future research endeavors, and enhance your resume for professors and research programs!
What IS a Literature Review, Anyway?
In simple terms, a literature review is an organized summary and analysis of existing scholarly works (like scientific papers, books, and dissertations) on a specific topic. While it doesn’t have a traditional scientific experiment, there are a bunch of other soft skills of research that it teaches you! It helps you:
Understand the Status Quo: What do we currently know or have discovered about the topic?
Identify Gaps In Research: What is at the edge of the cliff between known and unknown? What more do we have to find out?
Make your own Perspective: What conflicting opinions do researchers have and where do your ideas fall in that?
Refine your OWN research question: What new contribution can you make? How can you add on to what the world already knows?
The reason why most high schoolers struggle with stepping foot into the daunting world of research and get super overwhelmed with the plethora of information that they can’t decipher is because there is no set path to success. Everyone’s journey in research is different because of a multitude of science backgrounds, resources, money, proximity to universities, and personal skill sets.
A literature review, however, evens out the playing field. It is something that can be done solely through learning and personal improvement instead of outside factors that can’t be controlled like logistics of research labs, research program acceptances and money, etc. This can help you pick up some vital skills that assist you in the future!
Your Step-by-Step Guide to a Literature Review:
Step 1: Define Your Topic (Broadly at First, Then Narrow!)
This is where your passion comes in! What area are you interested in? What do you want to learn more about?
Brainstorm: Do you love genetics? Environmental science? Psychology? Start with a broad area.
Initial Questions: Within that area, what sparks your interest? "How do plants respond to light?" "What causes sleep?"
Initial Search (Google Scholar is your friend!): Do a quick preliminary search to see if there's enough existing research on your broad topic. If it's too niche, you might struggle to find enough material. If it's too vast, you'll need to narrow it down.
Step 2: Choose Your Keywords (And Get Creative!)
Keywords are the backbone of your search. Think of all the different ways researchers might describe your topic.
Synonyms: If you're looking for "plant growth," also try "plant development," "photosynthesis," "botany," "germination."
Related Terms: "Light spectrum," "wavelengths," "photoreceptors."
Specifics: If you narrowed your topic, include those specific terms (e.g., "phytochrome," "de-etiolation").
Step 3: Find Your Sources (Where the Real Gold Is!)
Forget random websites! You need reliable, scholarly sources.
Google Scholar: A fantastic starting point! It searches academic papers, theses, books, and abstracts from a wide range of disciplines.
PubMed (for biology/medicine): If your topic is biological or medical, this database is invaluable.
University Library Databases: Many public libraries and even some high school libraries offer access to academic databases like JSTOR, Web of Science, or ScienceDirect. Ask your librarian! They are research superheroes.
Reference Lists: When you find a good paper, check its reference list! This is an excellent way to discover more relevant articles.
For more guidance on executing the first three steps of this guide, check out our previous post on Choosing a Research Topic that you are Passionate About! This has a more detailed breakdown of what you should be looking for to get a more direct research idea or question.
Step 4: Read Critically (Don't Just Skim!)
This is where you move beyond just collecting articles to understanding them.
Start with the Abstract: This short summary will tell you if the paper is truly relevant.
Read the Introduction and Conclusion: These sections will give you the main arguments and findings.
Skim the Methods and Results (for understanding the approach): You don't need to replicate their experiment, so don’t spend too much time deciphering lab techniques. Read to understand how they got their results, and more importantly, the trends of the data.
Take Notes and Read Actively! This is CRITICAL. For each paper, jot down:
Full citation: (Author, Year, Title, Journal, Volume, Pages) – You'll thank yourself later!
I recommend using MyBib and creating an extensive list of sources as you go and pasting the citations into your digital research notebook
Main research question/hypothesis.
Key findings/conclusions.
Any unanswered questions or limitations noted by the authors.
How it connects to your topic.
I like to call these aims, claims, results, and impacts!
Looking for these specific components helps with active reading.
Pro-Tip: You can use digital tools like Zotero or Mendeley (free!) to organize your sources and notes. They also help generate citations automatically!
You also have the option of keeping a research notebook on a Google or Word Document where you can continue to add on to your arsenal of information! The harder work you do with reading and understanding the long, complex words, the better paper you will be able to write!
Step 5: Synthesize and Organize (Tell the Story!)
This is where you weave together what you've learned. Don't just list summaries!
Look for Themes: What common ideas, debates, or methodologies emerge?
Identify Gaps: What's missing from the research? What hasn't been explored? This is where your potential research project might come in!
Look for Contradictions: Do some studies present conflicting results? Why might that be?
Structure Your Review: A common way to organize is by:
Chronological: How has research evolved over time?
Thematic: Group papers by common themes or sub-topics.
Methodological: Group by the types of research methods used.
Step 6: Write Your Review (And Polish It Up!)
Now, transform your notes into a coherent narrative.
Introduction: Briefly introduce your topic and the scope of your review.
Body Paragraphs: Discuss the themes, gaps, and key findings you identified. Use clear topic sentences for each paragraph. Crucially, don't just summarize one paper after another. Compare and contrast!
Conclusion: Summarize the main takeaways, highlight the biggest gaps, and suggest future research directions (this is where you can hint at your own ideas!).
Cite Everything! Always give credit where credit is due. Follow a consistent citation style (e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago – your teacher might have a preference).
Proofread: Check for grammar, spelling, and clarity. Read it aloud to catch awkward phrasing.
Why is this important for you?
Even without a formal lab position, doing a literature review is invaluable for high schoolers:
Develops Critical Thinking: You learn to evaluate information, not just accept it. This is your first exposure to real world science and research articles, and it is a great way to develop soft skills like reading complex papers and understanding complex ideas.
Builds Research Skills: You practice searching, organizing, and synthesizing information – core skills for any academic path. You also become a better writer for future research endeavors, especially when it comes to publishing your work, because most research articles require an in depth review portion first to give your audience necessary background information. This can commonly be found in sections like the introduction and parts of the discussion.
Identifies Research Questions: You might even discover a novel question that you can explore through a small, computational/data analysis experiment or a deeper dive into existing data!
Impresses Mentors/Colleges: When you reach out to professors or apply to programs, you can show them you've already taken initiative and have a strong understanding of a research area. This makes you stand out!
So, don't wait for the perfect opportunity to come to you. Being proactive despite the limited resources you start with is a great skill, and it shows how you can be resourceful! Start digging, start reading, and start becoming that research detective today. Your future research journey begins with that first critical review!
Happy researching!
